She’s lost her mother and her memory. And if she fails to escape… she’ll lose herself.Meiko Wright wants nothing to do with the mother who abandoned her nine years ago. Spending a year in Tokyo, where her mother lives, won’t change that fact. But when she takes a nasty fall in a Shinto temple, she wakes with no memory of her mother… or anything of her past life. Without any idea who she is, she … any idea who she is, she must rely on the kindness of a local priest who offers to help her as best he can. When the amnesiac Meiko wakes with a strange suspicion that something isn’t right, she vows to escape from a bond she doesn’t truly understand.
After years apart, Meiko’s mother Chieko is determined to make up for lost time. But when her daughter mysteriously disappears, Chieko promises she won’t lose her again. Along the trail of clues, the detectives working Meiko’s case discover a pair of suicides linked by a strange seductress and matching fox tattoos. Afraid her daughter may be next, Chieko visits a local shaman who tells her dark spirits could make her attempt for a rescue impossible.
With time running out, Meiko and her family must uncover the mystery of her mental captivity before she loses herself and her only way home forever.
Spirit of the Fox is a cerebral mystery novel. If you like Japanese culture, riveting suspense, and the power of family, then you’ll love Matthew O’Connell’s intersection of science, spirituality, and folklore.
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This mystery is a stunner. It’s not just that it’s awesome and well-written, it’s because the solving of the mystery involved something so unexpected and astounding, it left me speechless. It left me wide-eyed and very impressed. If a mystery fan likes mind games, then this is a book to add to their TBR list.
I will admit that I thought the first few chapters were slow. That’s impatience talking. What the author did was to introduce to me the main players which gave me insight as to who they were as people, and how their relationship dynamics worked. Stay the course because it’s important. It’s crucial that a reader is made to understand Meiko’s character early on.
Meiko’s parents, Chieko and David, are divorced. It was interesting to see them explore with internal dialogue the things that attracted them to each other initially, how it later tore them apart and in the course of this story, showed that they could be strengths as well. Ultimately, I get the feeling that maybe there might be hope for a future reconciliation between Meiko’s parents, and that would make me happy.
The body of the novel is about what happens to Meiko. Now I don’t want to give away any spoilers while trying to explain the dilemma she finds herself in. The synopsis on the back cover of the book isn’t quite the way things happen in the book. Yes, Chieko, her mom, is important, but the blurb downplays her dad’s role. I want to add in her grandmother, Aiko. The strength of family is vital because it lends power to the impact of the conflict. In fact, it’s more important than a reader can imagine.
What happens to Hana in the novel is quite suggestive. Nothing really gets described in detail. It was only necessary to describe enough for the reader to understand what is about to happen or what has happened and it went no further.
I will share that there is one special moment in the book that made me gasp and shout, ‘No way!!!!” Lots of exclamation points. So close, oh my goodness, so close and then wham! I didn’t expect it. At. All.
You know how they say communication is the key to a good relationship? This tale reinforces that wisdom. It becomes key in bringing about the final showdown.
There is a hero in the story but I’m not going to tell you who it is. Brains, not brawn, wins the day. Maybe other readers wouldn’t label this person the hero, but I have my opinion and I’m happy with it.
All in all, Spirit of the Fox is a mystery worthy of being read. Maybe another reader will solve the case before the police do; I didn’t. I found this novel to be very well written, powerful in its delivery and I was thrilled that the villain was apprehended. I even enjoyed the author’s contribution at the end, explaining his own experience with the ‘spirit of the fox’. Usually I’m not impressed with what authors add about themselves at the end, but in Mr. O’Connell’s case, he’s as interesting a person as the story he penned. Every single page in this novel has value. I heartily recommend this book to everyone, not just mystery fans. It’s that good.
Spirit of the Fox is a combination of ancient Japanese folklore and modern day. I knew very little about Japanese myths before I read this book. Once I got into the story I was rooting for Meiko to regain her memory before she was lost forever. The author did a great job bring this story to life. Received a copy from Hidden Gems and this is my voluntary and honest review.